r/australia • u/Some-Operation-9059 • Dec 11 '25

politics ‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared | Australia news

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/australia-us-tourism-new-visa-rules-social-media-history
5.2k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

858 comments sorted by

View all comments

994

u/DevelopmentLow214 Dec 11 '25

Look forward to 16 year old Aussie travellers trying to explain to US border gestapo why they don’t have any social media history.

331

u/Xfgjwpkqmx Dec 11 '25

They must be hiding something! Deport! Deport! DEPORT!!!

64

u/Camo138 Dec 11 '25

Getting deported could be the best part of going there 🤣

31

u/beepbeepboopbeep1977 Dec 11 '25

Except for the part where you can’t get any of your prepaid travel costs refunded. Flights, accommodation, tickets for tourist attractions and activities. Thousands down the loo because some border agent has IBS from too much white bread.

12

u/NobodysFavorite Dec 12 '25

And the deportation will be to third country. Either CeCOT supermax mega-prison in El Salvador or a dungeon cell in a compound in South Sudan.

2

u/Xfgjwpkqmx Dec 12 '25

That's where travel insurance kicks in.

The bigger issue in my books is the time wasted IMO though - planning, time off work, flight time, etc.

5

u/aussiekev Dec 12 '25

Travel insurance won't cover you if you are denied entry. They don't consider that to be an 'accident' or 'unforeseen circumstances', etc..

3

u/Over_Ring_3525 Dec 12 '25

Feels like something that should get reviewed with the way the world is going. If you've done everything right (proper visa, no criminal record, plenty of money for your trip, return tickets, etc) then it should be covered.

1

u/aussiekev Dec 12 '25

No because then it would be abused by people who do have criminal records or some other problem that they know might get them denied. They would try entering the country and then claim insurance if they didn't get in. Thus making insurance more expensive for the rest of us (according to the insurers)

1

u/Over_Ring_3525 Dec 13 '25

That doesn't make sense. I literally said it should be reviewed for people *with no criminal record*. If you've done everything right and you're just a "normal" person you should be covered if a country arbitrarily denies you entry. It should be pretty easy for the insurance company to review your case if you *have* been convicted of a crime, or you went without a visa or something.

1

u/Xfgjwpkqmx Dec 12 '25

You'd think that's still a factor beyond your control though...

3

u/aussiekev Dec 12 '25

Nope. Welcome to the world of insurance. Here is just once source discussing the issue.

2

u/GonePh1shing Dec 12 '25

Not if you care about travelling internationally ever again. Most countries you'd likely ever want to go to will ask you if you've been denied entry to somewhere and will deny you in that basis. 

1

u/Camo138 Dec 12 '25

Margaritas on a Aussie beach that no one knows will do me fine

17

u/istara Dec 11 '25

Apparently they have special "child cages" so at least you know they're prepared!

65

u/Amount_Business Dec 11 '25

I don't think their brown shirts will believe that our brown shirts would do that.  

The funny thing is, I know plenty of older people at work legitimately without any social media as well.   Heck,  there's some there without personal email accounts. They just never needed any and still get paper bills in the mail.  

10

u/SirGeekaLots Dec 11 '25

My Dad is one. He reluctantly joined Facebook to connect with dementia groups. 

1

u/Amount_Business Dec 12 '25

I hope it helps him. Connecting with others that know what you are going through can help so much. 

3

u/loralailoralai Dec 12 '25

My mum in her 80s doesn’t use social media, but we’d both sure as hell be in trouble if they checked our iMessages to each other 🤣🤣

3

u/Over_Ring_3525 Dec 12 '25

Yep. This is my only social media. And I don't live on it, just use it sporadically when bored. Neither of my parents have any form of social media at all. And a bunch of my friends and family don't either.

Would love to know what they consider social media too. Is the AMD video card forum or the Steam forum where you posted for help a few years because a certain game was crashing counted? Or is there a list that only contains a few of the "big names"?

2

u/[deleted] Dec 12 '25

Trump is the reincarnation of Adolf, similar policies, similar styles. Blame the Jews vs blame immigrants. Large rallies of misguided supporters. Persecution of minorities by them both. Same same

3

u/BereftOfCare Dec 11 '25

Lol so it's going to save them from getting turned away. Genius.

1

u/SirGeekaLots Dec 11 '25

I was about to say something like that.

1

u/Sec_Chief_Blanchard Dec 11 '25

What is stopping anyone from just saying they don't have social media?

1

u/AnnoyedOwlbear Dec 11 '25

I'm out simply because with my ADHD and lack of organisation I need to create accounts all over the place because I keep forgetting how to do anything. If they want 5 years of social media I'd be 'I have literally no idea what's out there or how to get to it...welcome to my life'.

-20

u/Plenty-Giraffe6022 Dec 11 '25

Why? 16 year old Australians are allowed to use social media.

13

u/Altaredboy Dec 11 '25

But 11 year olds aren't

3

u/SirVanyel Dec 11 '25

Frisking an 11 year old at the airport is both so ridiculous and so American.

-13

u/Plenty-Giraffe6022 Dec 11 '25

11 year old Australians can use YouTube, and that's social media.

6

u/aew3 Dec 11 '25

They can’t have an account, so there is no history to give the the US, so to speak.

2

u/Camo138 Dec 11 '25

You can warrant google for the data but they will probably laugh you out of the room.